Neckties and ribbons
by Storybelle
Summary: Shonenai. 'Wouldn't Sasuke be wearing a necktie if he did have a girlfriend' But Sakura overlooked the obvious signs right in front of her.


**Warning**: Shonenai.

**Song:** Scarlet by BRACE;d.

The characters are not mine. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

NB: 1) Neckties and Ribbons – reference to Arina Tanemura-sama's _Gentleman's Alliance cross_ where girls wear neckties and boys wear ribbons so when they trade they wear the correct uniform. This idea was so cute I couldn't resist using it but the rest of the story will be nothing like Tanemura-sensei's work.

I apologise for fluff bunnies. And for making it seem like I like Sakura at points.

Haruno Sakura was in love with Uchiha Sasuke, she was sure of it.

She had known this ever since she had seen him on that first day in middle school, known it was absolutely true, that he was the only one for her.

However that did not seem to be the case for him.

"He has a lover, y'know."

"He does not!" Sakura gasped, turning around so fast Hinata let go of the tiny braids that were gathered in her hands. "Sorry, Hinata-chan," she apologised after her friend had sighed and gathered up her soft pink hair again and resumed plaiting.

Ino smirked. "It's true!" she singsonged.

"You liar!"

"He has a lover that isn't you!"

"Shut up!"

Temari coughed, interrupting their cat-and-dog fight. "No, Sakura, I heard it too. It's all over the school."

"But...um...Wouldn't Sasuke-san be wearing a necktie then? And a girl be wearing a ribbon?" They all jumped as Hinata spoke for the first time this lunch. She blushed as they all turned to look at her.

"That's true," Ino said slowly. "But when we saw him at assembly we was still wearing a ribbon."

"Maybe they decided not to exchange them?" Temari pointed out. "Sasuke wouldn't want the fuss of his fanclub, would he? And she'd probably get murdered if she was wearing his ribbon."

Sakura leant back against Hinata's knees. "Who is she then? What kind of girl would Sasuke-kun take?" _When he could have me..._ she added silently.

Ino raised her slim shoulders up and down once. "Nobody knows," she said with a smile.

Sakura started. "The how does anyone know it's true?" she demanded.

Ino laughed. "No one does for sure! But isn't that the point?"

Temari tapped her chin. "But what kind of girl _would_ Sasuke like? He ignores all of the Sasuke fanclub. He takes no notice of check-out girls making eyes at him. He is oblivious to the fact that every female falls instantly at his feet...except for us three of course," she said, indicating herself, Ino and Hinata.

"Someone quiet like him? And moody?"

Temari dismissed that idea. "That doesn't seem right. Sasuke wouldn't be interested in someone like that."

"Then someone who's the complete opposite of him?" Ino suggested. Temari thought about it.

"You mean someone who's loud, rude and more of a friend than gorgeousness material?" she asked.

Ino nodded. "Opposites attract, don't they?" she reasoned.

Temari stretched and leant back against the bench she and Hinata were sitting on. "I think he'd like someone who wouldn't take any of his crap."

Sakura at once leapt to her love's defence. "I beg your pardon?! Just because you don't like him..."

"He's a sullen, stuck up, gel-wearing asshole," Temari said bluntly.

"You're one to talk! You always have to have everyone looking at you!" Sakura spat.

"At least I'm not obsessed with some dude!! Do you realise how sad you sound all of the time? Sasuke is so cool! Sasuke is so gorgeous! Sasuke is the best! You should just grow _up_, Sakura!"

There was silence. Sakura and Temari were breathing hard and their eyes were like daggers. Hinata dropped Sakura's plaits and looked at the furious blonde girl. Ino shifted away from the flushed Sakura.

"Fine," hissed Sakura. "Fine then. If you're going to be like that..."

She pulled herself up and brushed down her clothes. She gave Temari one final glare before spinning around and stalking off.

She kept on marching until she was out of the gardens and then sat down on a nearby bench outside the gym.

"Aah, now Temari's going to be mad at me," she sighed, rearranging her necktie. "Especially as I stormed off first."

It had gone quite well, her dramatic exit. Still it wasn't worth losing her friends for. If she and Temari were fighting then Ino would stay with her to spite Sakura and Hinata hated fights.

She sighed again and leant back. She began to unravel all of the plaits except one.

But there was a much more important matter at hand. Sasuke? And a girlfriend? It seemed unlikely, especially as he wasn't wearing a necktie.

"Just a rumour," she decided. "Or Temari and Ino winding me up."

Yeah, that was it. No need to panic. She had plenty of time to convince Sasuke she was perfect for him.

She got up and stretched. There was still a lot of time before the bell rang and she had to go to English so she might as well go see if Sasuke was around at all. After all she was vice-president of the drama club and she could make up a story she needed to talk to him about something.

"Alright, we have a plan!" she said, feeling like all her problems were solved. She was pretty, wasn't she? She'd been told by many of the male members of her class she was. And she was smart and kind and brave. So why didn't Sasuke like her?

_Maybe he doesn't like my temper,_ she mused. _I've never seen Sasuke lose his temper like I do._

No, there had been times like that in middle school. She had been walking along the hall between classes and heard the calls of "Fight! Fight!" of a circle of students.

Sasuke and his long time rival, Uzumaki Naruto.

Sakura thought about the blonde boy. He was loud, always said what he thought, and deemed Sasuke to be a stuck up pretty boy who always got what he wanted.

Sasuke was a member of one of the most important families in the city. He would eventually inherit his father's company and probably marry a beautiful woman who was just as wealthy as he was.

He was cool and collected and moody. He was so beautiful girls couldn't help but stop and stare.

Naruto on the other hand had been adopted when he was a young child and had lived in a home until then. His adopted parent was her old teacher at middle school, Iruka-sensei.

Naruto was cute, she'd admit. Beautiful blonde hair, bright blue eyes and a wide grin. But he was nothing like Sasuke.

As different as the moon and the sun. Day and night. A shining gem to a plain rock.

Hinata liked Naruto, she knew. Ever since their first day together. Hinata watched him a lot. Because Naruto was confident in a way Hinata felt she could never be.

And oddly Ino liked Naruto too. They were old if a somewhat strange pair of friends.

Actually most people liked Naruto. He was one of those people who possess that inner light that people like to have around.

Even Temari tolerated him and ruffled his hair affectionately.

That was irritating and without realising it she speeded up. She had to work at getting people to like her. And yet Naruto had no problems.

Oh, damn it, now she was lost. She had been so focused on her thoughts she'd walked into an area she didn't recognise. The academy was so big she still hadn't even been in half of it that was used by older students and teachers.

For a moment she spun around, totally disorientated. How could she get out of here? Well, her classroom was in that building over there so if she headed down this path she could get back to somewhere she knew.

She walked away with that intention but didn't get very far. There was another garden, a very small private rose garden and her natural curiosity made her turn right towards it. Were only older students allowed to enter it? She'd never heard of a rose garden here at this school.

But it was beautiful. Sakura stopped to breathe in the scent of the flowers...and froze when she heard voices. If this was out of bounds and she was caught here she'd have a blemish on her perfect record! But then she recognised one of the voices.

"That girl has a crush on you, doesn't she?" Naruto's voice rose loudly from the path to her right.

"I know." Sakura started and ducked behind a rose bush as the two figures came into view. It was Sasuke!

_But why is Naruto being so familiar with him? _She thought. _They're not friends even if they don't fight anymore. In fact I've never seen them talk to each other._

"Don't you care? That Sakura girl is in love with you!" Sakura crouched down more, realising they were talking about her.

Sasuke smirked. "Yeah, so? Why do you care? Are you jealous?"

Naruto protested loudly. "Me, jealous? No way! What ever gave you that idea?"

Jealous? So did Naruto like her then? He had in middle school.

Sasuke walked over to Naruto. "You are."

"I am not! I was just wondering what she meant to you."

Sasuke's tone was cold. "Nothing. Now drop it."

Naruto glared at him. "You bastard. You have all these girls in love with you but you don't even care. How do you think I feel about that?"

"Jealous, I'd wager."

"I'm not jealous! Unless, y'know," Naruto paused. "Unless you were actually interested in any of them."

There was a silence. When Sakura peered around the rose bush again Sasuke stood only a few centimetres from a clearly uncomfortable Naruto.

"Why would I be interested in any of them, dobe?" Sasuke sounded bemused as if there was a private joke between them that Sakura didn't understand.

"I'm just saying there are all these pretty girls who watch your every move and..."

Sasuke stopped him. "You think I'll actually fall for one of them?"

"Your father will make you marry a girl one day," Naruto grumbled.

Sasuke frowned suddenly. "Look, there's not much time left until we have to go back to class and pretend that we have nothing to do with each other. If you're going to be childish, I'm leaving."

Sakura missed Naruto's reply. She was confused and curious. Did this mean they were friends in secret? But why? They were total opposites. And something about that made her feel uneasy.

Naruto reached out as fast as lightening and grabbed hold of Sasuke's arm and spun him around. Then he pulled on Sasuke's other arm and pulled him back. Sakura leaned to the side to see. _What_ was happening?

In her confusion she'd missed part of their conversation.

"Dobe." When did Sasuke smile? She'd rarely ever seen him smile in all the years they'd been at school together. "There's only one person I love. And that person is incredibly dumb when I tell them so."

Sakura gasped, stung. Sasuke did have a lover!

"Oh yeah?" Naruto's face was flushed like Hinata's was when she dropped something. "Who would be so stupid they wouldn't get it when the great Sasuke Uchiha tells them that he loves them?"

"Someone loud. Who says what they think whenever it comes into their heads. Someone who never notices when I'm watching them. Or even when I hint at it constantly."

Naruto grinned. "Sounds like a real dumbass not to get it. So whi is it then?"

Sasuke scowled. "Don't play dumb."

Naruto laughed. "How do you know I'm not just dumb, plain and simple?" Sasuke took one step forward bringing them face to face.

"Fine then. You want me to say it 'plain and simple'?"

"I love you, Naruto." And then Sasuke pressed his lips to Naruto's who replied by letting go of Sasuke's wrists and wrapping his arms around his neck.

Sasuke did have a lover. No one noticed because it wouldn't be obvious if two guys swapped ribbons. And Sasuke Uchiha was in love with Naruto Uzumaki.

Sakura leant too far forwards and fell painfully to the ground and cried out when her knees scraped against gravel. Instantly the two boys drew apart.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto ran the short distance over to her while Sasuke stood in the background. He knew that she had seen and wasn't there by coincidence. His dark eyes were full of mistrust and annoyance.

Even though it was Naruto who helped her up and inspected her wounds it was Sasuke she turned to.

"Sasuke-kun...you can't be... I mean, is it true?" Sasuke looked away from her.

"Why are you here, Sakura?"

Sakura pushed harder. "So you do have a lover? And he's a guy? _Why?_"

"Why _what_? I thought I would have been obvious! I. Don't. Like. Girls! Especially spying loudmouthed girls!"

"I didn't mean to...!" But now Naruto was holding onto Sasuke's arm lightly. "Sasuke, maybe she was just here by accident. It's not like we were being careful..." Sasuke sighed and calmed down apparently soothed by the blonde's presence.

Sakura's makeup was ruined, she could feel it but she was past caring. "So you two really are...?"

Sasuke cleared his throat. "Dating? Yes and we have been since we came to the academy. So far nobody knows."

"Please don't tell Sakura-chan?" Naruto begged.

Sakura rubbed at her eyes with her sleeve, leaving black streaks on her white shirt. "And what you said was true?" Naruto looked confused but there was no uncertainty on Sasuke's face as he pulled the blonde towards him. "Yes, I love Naruto. More than anything else."

Sakura felt as though she was no longer part of the conversation as Naruto kissed Sasuke gently on the lips and then rested their foreheads together.

This was not just a couple. This was a couple in _love._

Watching the two together hurt like a knife buried in her heart and then twisted in deeper by a cold, cruel killer. Shocked and upset she ran back down the path she had come from, ignoring Naruto calling her name.

How could she cope with this? Should she tell? And how would Hinata react to find out that her crush was already in love? It couldn't hurt her as much as it hurt Sakura. She'd never had a chance.

Naruto and Sasuke stood frozen in the garden. Sasuke's were dark and empty. "The cat will be out of the bag now," he said quietly. "Everyone will know...and if my father finds out..."

Naruto linked their hands together, taking Sasuke's cool, smooth palm into his own hand. "Maybe she won't," he said. "Maybe she'll keep it a secret. But she was pretty hurt, Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded.

Naruto watched him silently. If Sasuke's father did find out, despite protests from his mother or brother he would be disowned immediately. Naruto had no such worries. Iruka would protect him no matter who Naruto loved. Naruto was suddenly worried but tried to push it aside. He had to believe Sakura was a good person and would keep their secret for them. But it hurt him to see the boy he loved so much so dejected. On impulse he kissed Sasuke suddenly, continuing their kiss from before.

They pulled apart only when the bell rang, a sharp noise echoing across the grounds.

"Please don't worry. I'm still here."

Sasuke nodded and unconsciously brushed Naruto's cheek. They would part soon and Sasuke would leave the garden a different way to avoid getting caught.

"And Sasuke? I love you too."

And before they were separated again Naruto touched the ribbon around Sasuke's neck, once his, Sasuke's forever.


End file.
